Ishmael Beah was born on November 23, 1980 in the village of Sierra Leone, West Africa. Beah lived in the small village of Mogbwemo with his father and older brother Junior. Beah's mother and younger brother Ibrahim also lived in Mogbwemo during this time period. At twelve, Beah was separated from the majority of his family after rebel soldiers from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) attacked and destroyed Mogbwemo in January of 1993.
At 13, Beah was recruited as a child soldier for the Sierra Leonean government. Beah fought for the government for four years in the southwestern region of Sierra Leone. During this time, Beah witnessed the atrocities of war firsthand as he took part in...
